Feeding mechanism for cup-feed machines



May 29, 1928.

1,671,439 J. R. MOFFATT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CUP FEED MACHINES Filed Dec. 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Shee fc l May 29, 1928.

Q J. R. MOFFATT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CUP FEED MACHINES Filed Dec. '7, 1923 ZSheets-Sheet Patented May 29, 1928.

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JAMES R. morrnrr, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR reunion srnCIAn MACHINE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLInoIs, A CORPORATION OEILLINOIS.

FEEDING- MECHANISM' FOR CUP-FEED .IVJEAiCHTNES;

Application filed December 7, 19.23. Serial No. 679;.1'50;

The invention-relates to new and useful improvements in cup feed machines, and more particularly to the feeding mechanism therefor.

An object of the invention. is to provide a feeding mechanism for operating intermittently the inner and outer feed cups which include devices whereby the feed stroke imparted to the feed cups may be independently adjustech and when so adjusted, positively held in. the respective set adjusted positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanism for the feed cups. wherein the strokes of the cupma'y be simultaneously adjusted by. devices, located within the casing of: the machine and through the aid of means which extends to theoutside of the casing.

. Ilheseandother objects, will in partbe obvious and will invpartibe hereinafter more fully; disclosed." -In-the drawings-which.showby way of illustration one embodiment of the inventionv Figure 1.;is a side view of a machine ernbodyingmy, improvements;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section through the casing and showing the; means for adjusting the feed strokes ofgthe cups;v

Fig; 3 is aydetail"perspective view'offone of. the arms for, actuating-- the fee'dingdevices for one of the feed cups, and:

Fig. 1, is a detailin section showing the means accessibledfrom the outside of the casing for, simultaneously- ,adjusting the stroke;ofithefeedcups.

The invention is shown as applied to a feedcupanachine of the type disclosed in Patent N0.- 1,246,302, granted, to James R. Moflatt,November lEw, 1917; Said machine includes acasingl in which is mounted a main shaft 2. Also reciprocating. in the casing is a needle bamcarrying a. needle 3.

Cooperating with th e needle 3 is a looper 4,

which looper is so mounted andactuatedfas to form over-seaming stitches; The material is-iheidin vertical position; and directed to themeedle which rec'iprocates in ah'orizontal endofthe shafti'lthereis-a clutch'ring -9'and an actuating-clutch plate 10 shown in'dotted 11116S1I1 F 1 g; 2. This clutch plate carries a hub, 11 and dogs 12 which are each provided I with a groove adapted to engagethe flange of the clutch ring 9. These clutch dogs rest ableopening 16 in the casing; and is con nected to a ball stud 1'? mounted'in the outer 611(120f an arm 18. The arm 18 isin turn mounted on, a vertical shaft 19 carried by bearings 20,- 20 on the outer face of the casing. 1. k The otherfeed .Cu'p G iscarried by ashaft mounted in a sleeve bearing 21, which sleeve bearing-is formed-as a partofthe bracket: pivoted at 22, so that. said, sleeve bearing may. be moved to separate-the feed cups whenidesired; This is accomplished means; of a. lever 23, a. spring: 24:operatingtohormally hold the feed cups pressed yieldinglvtoward'i each: other. c

On the uppery'end of; the: shaft; carrying the outer feedtcup 6 there is a clutch plate 25. similar. to the clutch plate describedah(We inzconneotion witlrthe feed cuph=5;v @rr the upperrend ofithe; shaft there is ac'lutch ring 26. Cooperating with'zthis clutch ring; are

dogs 27 which grip the ring and turn the shaft: carrying the, feed cup The clutch plate. 25 carries a'ballstu'd 281 Alinle 29 engages said do all stud at one end and at its other endengages a ballist-ud SOCar-iiedwbven arm 31 mounted on' the upper end' ofathe shaft of-ob'long openings 32. The shank of: the ballstud 30 1s 1nsertcd iii-these openings and may be shifted ifrom one openin-gto' another I forvarying, the stroke of the clutch plate. The arm. 18" is likewise provided with". a series of'openlngs 33, and the shank ofthe ball stud 17' is adapted to be inserted in one ofitliese openings, and-uthus it' is-thiatthe stroke of thelink '14 may be adpisted. It willreadily be seen thatzoscillating move- '19., 'This arm 31 is provided.with:a so -cs ments impartedfto theshaft 19 are imparted through: independent: trains of "mechanisms bracket sleeve by screws 41.

and this collar.

to the feed cups and 6, respectively, so that the stroke of either feed cup may be adjusted without varying the stroke. of the other. Thus it is that either feed cup may be caused to rotate faster than the other. One feed cup bears on the inner face of the fabric sections being stitched and the outer feed cup bears on the other face. By giving a differential movement to the feed cups, the fabric sections may be controlled as de sired. By shifting the ball stud 30, the stroke of'theouter feed cup can be varied and by shifting the ball stud 17, the stroke of the inner feed cup can be varied. When theseba-ll studs are set in different openings, there is no chance of their working loose .and shifting to any great extent, although the holes for the ball studs are elongated slightly, and thus permit a very slight adjustment'of the ball stud.

The shaft 19 is oscillated by means of an eccentric strap 34 which cooperates with an eccentric 35 on the main shaft 2. The eccentric strap 34 is connected at its outer end to a ball stud 35 (see Fig. 4) on the end of a rod 36. This rod 36 passes through a sleeve 37 clamped on the shaft 19. Said rod is slabbed on one side thereof so as to prevent the same from turning in the bracket sleeve 37. Set screws 38 clamp this rod in its adjusted positions in thebracket sleeve. of a split collar mounted on the shaft 19 and is secured thereto by a clamping screw 39.

Also mounted on the bracket sleeve 37 is an arm 40. Said arm is secured to the The arm projects outwardly from the bracket sleeve and is bent downwardly at 42. The adjusting screw 43 is mounted in this arm 40 and is threaded into an end ofthe rod 36. Said adjusting screw has a collar 44 secured thereto and the bent portion 42 of the arm lies between the head of the adjusting screw When the set screws 38 have been released from their gripping hold on the rod 36, said rod may be shifted endwise of the bracket sleeve by turning the screw 43. This shifting of the rod 36 endwise varies the distance of the ball stud 35 from the center of the shaft 19 and thus varies the extent of oscillation imparted to the shaft 19 by means of the eccentric strap 34. It will be noted that the eccentric 35 and'the eccentric strap 34 are located Within the casing, and the strap is connected directly to an armcarried by the shaft l9, which likewise projects inwardly into the casing. The screw 43 for adjusting the rod 36 carrying the ball stud to which the eccentric strap 34 is connected is accessible from the outside of the casing.

It will be seen, therefore, that the means for oscillating the feed cups 5 and 6 from the main Shaft is very'simple, consisting of machine.

The bracket sleeve is in the form few parts, and these parts .are located in the main within the casing of the machine, and at the same time, they may be adjusted by means readily accessible from outside of the Furthermore, it will be 'noted that the adjustment is of a positive character, that is, the rod 36 isshifted by means of a screw so that a very slight turning of the screw will bring about a limited change in the throw of the feed cups. Not only does the screw aid in holding the. parts in set ad-c justed position, but-the parts may be locked in their adjusted position by the set screws 38. Y V

It is obvious thatminor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth I in the appended claims.

Having'thus. described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. A sewing machine including in combination, a casing, feed cups associatedtherewith between which the fabric is clamped and fed to a stitching mechanism, a main shaft located in said casing, an eccentric carried thereby, an eccentric straplocated within the casing and oscillated by said peccentric, a vertical shaft at theoutside of said casing,an arm carried by said vertical shaft and extending within the casing to which said eccentric strap is connected, independent devices actuated by said vertical shaft for actuating the feed cups, and means whereby the extent of oscillation imparted to the vertical shaft by said eccentric strap may be varied.

2. A sewing machine including incombination, a casing, feed cups'associated therewith between which the fabric is clamped and fed to a stitching mechanism, amain shaft located in said casing, an eccentric carried thereby, an eccentric strap locatedwithin the casing and oscillated byv said eccentric, a vertical shaft at the outside of said casing, an arm carried by said vertical shaft and extending within the casing to 'which said eccentric strap is connected, in-

dependent devices actuated by said vertical shaft for actuating the feed cups, and means whereby the effective length of said arm carried by the vertical shaft and connected to the eccentric strap may be varied for varying the oscillations imparted to the vertical shaft.

3. A sewing machine including in combination, a casing, feed cups associated therewith between which the fabric is clamped and fed to a stitching mechanism, a vertical shaft located outside of the casing, a main shaft extending from the casing, an eccentric on said main shaft, an eccentric strap associated therewith, devices actuated by said vertical shaft for imparting feed movements to said feed cups, a bracket sleeve carried by the vertical shaft, a rod mounted a in said bracket sleeve, and carrying a ball shaft extending from the'casing, an eccentric on said main shaft, an eccentric strap associated therewith, devices actuated by said vertical shaft for imparting feed movements to said feed cups, a bracket sleeve carried by the vertical shaft, a rod mountedin said bracket sleeve and carrying a ball stud to which said eccentric strap is connected, an arm mounted on said bracket sleeve, and an adjusting screw carried by said arm and threaded into the rod, said adjusting screw being accessible from outside of the casing and operating to shift the rod in the bracket sleeve for varying the feed movements of the feed cups. v

'5. A sewing machine including in combination, a casing, feed cups associated therewith between which the fabric is clamped and fed to a stitching mechanism, a main shaft located in said casing, an eccentric carrled thereby, an eccentric strap located in the casing and cooperating with said eccen- I tric, a vertical shaft: at the outside of said casing, devices actuated by said vertical shaft for actuating the feed cups, an arm carried by said vertical shaft and extending within said casing and having a ball stud on the end thereof to which said eccentric strap is connected, and means for supporting said arm on said vertical shaft whereby said arm I may be adjusted bodily on the shaft so that the effective length of the arm to which the eccentric strap is connected may be varied for varying the oscillations imparted to the vertical shaft. i

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature;

JAMES R. MOFFATT. 

